Educational Opportunities for Students

Academic and Clinical Partnerships

The Hospice Institute collaborates with colleges and universities, allowing us to teach students not just in the traditional classroom setting but also in field settings and our hospice care settings, as well as in the home environment. The staff works with area colleges and universities to incorporate end-of-life topics into the curricula. We conduct research on end-of-life issues and house a library and resource center.

Clinical Rotations

The clinical rotations that we currently offer are available to a variety of healthcare professionals. If you are interested in creating a specialized program to meet your educational needs, please contact Julie McBee, RN, BSN, BA, Education Coordinator of The Hospice Institute, at 216.383.3733 or jmcbee@hospicewr.org.

Hospice of the Western Reserve’s Hospice Institute collaborates with various colleges and universities to help students at all levels of education fulfill clinical hours and gain experience with end-of life work.

Programs are currently available for the following disciplines:

  • Nursing – Clinical and practicum work for undergraduate nurses for both ADN and BSN programs, all graduate level programs and doctorate programs
  • Social Work – Field hours and experience in both undergraduate and graduate level work
  • Medicine:
    • Hospice of the Western Reserve collaborates with Case Western Reserve University in participating in the Rotating Apprenticeships in Medical Practice (RAMP) program for first year medical students by hosting a four-hour session that each first year medical student attends.
    • Hospice of the Western Reserve collaborates with Ohio University to host its third-year medical students who are affiliated with St. John Medical Center in a two-week rotation. Students affiliated with South Pointe Hospital participate in a one-week rotation.
    • Interns and residents complete rotations at our hospice care settings.
    • Fellows complete rotations in their fellowship training within our hospice care settings in the areas of pediatrics, pain, geriatrics and palliative medicine.
    • In partnership with MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve University, Hospice of the Western Reserve hosts an ACGME Accredited Fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
  • Bioethics – Hospice of the Western Reserve collaborates with Case Western Reserve University’s Bioethics Department in hosting bioethics students in their senior year. They complete a one-day rotation in one of our hospice care settings and spend one day with one of our home care teams

Other disciplines that complete internships with us are in the following areas: Bereavement, Counseling, Music and Art Therapies, and Spiritual Care. If you are interested in an internship in any of these areas, please contact Diane Snyder Cowan at 216.486.6312 or e-mail DSCowan@hospicewr.org.

International Collaborations

Staff members at Hospice of the Western Reserve have been fortunate to share their knowledge of hospice and palliative care with students and guests from around the world. Hosting international hospice and palliative care professionals has broadened our horizons and increased learning of the hospice model through these collaborations. Some of the countries we have worked with are:

Azerbaijan China Croatia
Egypt Hong Kong Hungary
Japan Jordan Korea
Philippines Slovakia Thailand
Uganda Zimbabwe  

Questions?

For more information about The Hospice Institute contact:

Elizabeth Ford Pitorak MSN, CNS, FPCN
Director, The Hospice Institute
email: epitorak@hospicewr.org
phone: 216.383.3740
fax: 216.383.3750
300 East 185th Street
Cleveland, OH 44109